The words were like a bombshell exploding next to Rong Bai’s ear. Su Mo nodded with a smile, realizing that indeed all the good men were given to the country, looking so mighty and grand.
One moment she was still smiling, but the next, the words that Rong Bai said made her and Lu Chen turn black-faced in unison.
"Grown up, huh? You look so young," Rong Bai slapped Lu Chen on the shoulder, "I wouldn’t have guessed that in your 20-odd years of abstaining from women, this was what you were into?"
Li Chuan, sitting beside them, burst out laughing unrestrained, his bizarrely pale face flushing red with amusement, "Don’t be fooled by her size. She’s a little wildcat that can take human lives, with very sharp claws."
"Is that so?" Rong Bai became somewhat curious.
"This wildcat is a Dual Ability User of Space and Speed," Li Chuan’s almond eyes roamed over Su Mo, then lazily retracted them after receiving a warning glance from Lu Chen.
Rong Bai was actually surprised, "A Dual Ability user that young?"
"Uncle, is your daughter about my age this year? I’m twenty years old," Su Mo said with a smile, propping her chin with her hand on the table as she looked at Rong Bai.
Rong Bai’s face turned black this time, as he stood up abruptly, "I’m even a year younger than your man!"
Su Mo looked at Lu Chen and then at him, before shaking her head, "Doesn’t look like it."
Lu Chen’s expression cleared like the sky after a storm, as he narrowed his eyes and gently knocked on the table, speaking to Rong Bai with a hint of pleasure, "Sit nicely."
Rong Bai suddenly felt deeply aggrieved.
The group stopped their teasing, and he turned serious, pouring water for the two, "Your silver hair, I almost didn’t recognize you. Ice Ability, right?"
"Level 3, I’ve finally caught up to you," Rong Bai’s resolute face suddenly broke into a smile.
"Not quite caught up; he’s also a Dual Ability user, with Space," Li Chuan added, wounding Rong Bai again.
Dual Ability Users were incredibly rare, and Rong Bai had seen a few on his journey, but to see two at once was a rarity, and his face could not help but show a hint of jealousy.
Watching him displaying no particularly distinguishing changes, Su Mo asked, "What’s your superpower?"
"Level 3 Gold Element," he covered his hand over the table, and the originally wooden foldable table immediately became as solid and hardened as an iron lump, "With just a thought, I can harden anything to use as my weapon."
"That’s quite useful," Su Mo clicked her tongue twice.
Rong Bai was rubbing his fists and wiping his hands together, looking eager to try himself against Lu Chen, "We haven’t seen each other in so long, and when we were in the same district, I never managed to beat you. When can we have a fight again!"
Both were Level 3 superpower users, considered evenly matched.
Lu Chen nodded indifferently, stating calmly, "In B City, whenever you like."
Having secured his promise, Rong Bai called a few soldiers over, "Then you all have a good rest tonight. Seeing so many of you with just one vehicle, I’ll have them set up a couple of tents for you."
Su Mo, of course, couldn’t ask for more than to sleep in a tent. She stood up with Lu Chen, leading the others away.
Li Chuan had been sitting there from the beginning to the end not saying much. Rong Bai glanced at him, his smile fading and his face becoming stern, "Handle the matters of the Lu Family on your own, don’t drag Lu Chen into it."
As one of the few who knew Lu Chen’s background, he was aware of the Lu Family’s role in turning his brother into the man of few words he was today.
Li Chuan still smiled carelessly, his almond eyes appearing innocently, "He has to be willing to get involved."
"Report," Sergeant Yang entered, obviously with something to report.
Li Chuan stood up from his seat and casually walked out with both hands in his pockets.
Rong Bai took a sip of water and said, "Speak."
Sergeant Yang reported the incident at the back of the convoy involving Lu Chen. Rong Bai’s expression immediately darkened, and an aura of killing intent enveloped him, "No need to inform me of such things, take care of it outside."
He hadn’t planned on mentioning it, but considering it involved that respected figure, he felt it was better to say something.
At the end of the huge convoy, Wang Hai had just woken up only to be thrown out, vehicle and all, by the soldier he had claimed as a relative.
"Uncle Wang, don’t blame me, you shouldn’t have provoked Admiral Lu."
The soldier didn’t bother with the shouts behind him and merged back into the group of soldiers guarding the rear.
Lu Chen led Su Mo back to the military vehicle. Aside from Jianxiong, everyone else inside was fast asleep.
The two leaned against the military vehicle, followed by several soldiers carrying tents. Their eyes occasionally stole glances at Lu Chen.
Curious, Su Mo poked his waist and whispered, "Why do I feel like all the soldiers we’ve met along the way have this inexplicable admiration for you?"
It wasn’t her imagination; she always sensed her man had made a name for himself throughout the military, worshipped wherever he went.
Lu Chen didn’t want to explain his dangerous past and merely rubbed her head instead.
Jianxiong stuck his head out of the window, yawned, and said, "Sister, our boss isn’t just the War God of the Jiang Residence; his achievements are regarded as this even on an international level."
He extended his hand out of the window and gave her a thumbs up.
Su Mo nodded in understanding and then looked up at Lu Chen with eyes full of admiration. Lu Chen, feeling uncomfortable under her gaze, straightened his back. Whenever she looked at him with such eyes, he felt his mouth go dry and his tongue parched.
"What about Rong Bai? That guy just now..."
Lu Chen’s face suddenly darkened, seeming particularly dissatisfied with her mentioning another man, "Him? Perennial runner-up."
Su Mo stopped asking, noticing the expression on his face and realizing he seemed jealous again. She stood on tiptoes and vigorously rubbed his stoic face, cajolingly saying, "You’re the best, smile for me."
Jianxiong covered his face and quietly withdrew his head, thinking to himself why he had felt the need to join the conversation.
The soldiers busy setting up tents occasionally peeked at the couple’s interaction. Lu Chen, the person from their textbooks! Such a fierce person actually fancied this cute kind; it was quite the endearing contrast.
"We’re outside," Lu Chen frowned, trying to pull her hands away.
Upon hearing this, one of the soldiers setting up a tent trembled, and the tent collapsed halfway, the hook not having been secured properly.
It seemed it was only okay when they were at home...
Lu Chen cast an icy glance at the soldiers, who quickly lowered their heads and sped up their work. In a rush, they set up three small tents, outfitted them with bedding, reported to him, and promptly took off.
Su Mo didn’t linger either. She opened the vehicle door and woke up Zhao Changsheng and others still asleep inside, "Go sleep in the tents. It’s quite uncomfortable in the vehicle."
Su Niang carried Ling Ye in her arms out of the vehicle, and the child suddenly woke up. She held him as they crawled into one of the tents.
Zhao Changsheng yawned and cracked his neck, making a clicking sound, "Momo, I’m a woman and don’t want to sleep with that stinky boy. How about we..."